How To Fix A Bricked Motherboard

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  • Опубликовано: 20 авг 2024
  • Check out the new Drop x Sennheiser PC38X at dro.ps/pc38x-bf
    It turns out it's possible to fix a broken motherboard that's been bricked. Here are several different ways to do it, depending on your situation.
    Leave a reply with your requests for future episodes, or tweet them here: / jmart604
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Комментарии • 628

  • @Dornacgove
    @Dornacgove 2 года назад +495

    "It used to be that some motherboards had replaceable BIOS chips"
    ... I was there, 3000 years ago

    • @matjazmeza
      @matjazmeza 2 года назад +28

      How did the dinosaurs look like?

    • @bgezal
      @bgezal 2 года назад +16

      I was there when BIOS'es on MB's, I/O-cards like SCSI, and modems, had socketed UVPROM that you erased under a CFL light and after you flashed new content you put a sticker over the window to stop light from erasing it.

    • @Xfade81
      @Xfade81 2 года назад +10

      pepperidge farm remembers

    • @drakethedragon457
      @drakethedragon457 2 года назад +2

      @@bgezal UVPROM would've been the assumed name but they were actuallly just called EPROM [Erasable Programmabe Read only memory]

    • @danimayb
      @danimayb 2 года назад +3

      @@drakethedragon457 ultra-violet erasable programmable read only memory was actually it's name, Or UV EPROM / UVPROM. it could only be erased by exposing it to ultraviolet light. but it was a form of EPROM.. obviously.

  • @sully-kun3402
    @sully-kun3402 2 года назад +484

    I love how LTT animation now looks flawless while Techquickie is still faithful to its current style

  • @nordithen
    @nordithen 2 года назад +464

    I had no idea that sort of device existed - fantastic to know!

    • @Kknewkles
      @Kknewkles 2 года назад +7

      Yeah, I found out a few months ago from one a compatriot(Russian) youtuber, was just as elated. Also because I love gadgets like that.
      Doubly so because I was hellbent on getting a UPS just for the reason of "what if power goes out while I'm updating the mobo", which power does go out on me sometimes 😂 Couldn't get a UPS, got a power filter. Mobo still unupdated :'DDD
      It finally got to western youtubers, hope to see more videos on it from top channels!

    • @enyemberthduarte6732
      @enyemberthduarte6732 2 года назад

      Same

    • @dh2032
      @dh2032 2 года назад

      as allmors
      Most everything has a chip init somewhere ?Me too, I wonder if you can get the big clip in different Size's ,it could be hanxiy to themoding community also ,as also

    • @prathamkalgutkar7538
      @prathamkalgutkar7538 2 года назад

      Yes, they are actually used to Flash/Program various Chips in a Medium to Small Scale Manufacturing Unit. If cost or Design don't suit JTAG or factory Programmed Chips, then this solution is used. Or maybe you are a Hobbyist or something lol

    • @vothaison91
      @vothaison91 2 года назад +1

      Gosh. Now more people will stop praying.

  • @dumpsterdawg
    @dumpsterdawg 2 года назад +733

    Linus: "Speaking of drop"
    Explains why the motherboard was bricked in the first place.

    • @SomeoneFighter
      @SomeoneFighter Год назад

      Underrated comment

    • @hawky2k215
      @hawky2k215 10 месяцев назад

      It can be bricked by installing wrong Bios firmware by mistaken and it is common cases for these who does Bios flash for the first times or sometimes Motherboard would still install it and end up with 2 flashed files where it can confused the firmware to which one to used too

  • @Eli-zb2yj
    @Eli-zb2yj 2 года назад +510

    Linus: the best way to deal with the issue is to stop it from happening in the first place
    Me: yes linus this how you solve 99% of the problems in the world

    • @alex786
      @alex786 2 года назад +23

      @@AboveColin honestly I do agree with him on that.
      I'm a new AMD user and my b550 motherboard came with an insanely old bios, it did not run my 5600x.
      I hate the fact that the first motherboard I bought did not have bios flashback. How bankruptingly, wife leaving you, world ending is it to include bios flashback with every new motherboard?
      I had to return that one and buy a new one because there was no way to update the bios.

    • @neondemon5137
      @neondemon5137 2 года назад +3

      @UCHm6_SHC3f4dWwEC7oHpQ4w Here's my miracle cure for lung cancer: never start smoking!

    • @alterb.1052
      @alterb.1052 2 года назад +5

      @@neondemon5137 and avoiding smokers

    • @CyanureNeko
      @CyanureNeko 2 года назад +8

      @@alex786 I assume they dont add that feature on every MB in order to make the expensive ones more *appealing*, which sucks, but then again just *assuming

    • @jordanwardle11
      @jordanwardle11 2 года назад +3

      @@neondemon5137 nah, just dont have lungs

  • @matjazmeza
    @matjazmeza 2 года назад +149

    Weather: decides to worsen during BIOS update
    Me: **nervous sweating**

  • @RuxUnderscore
    @RuxUnderscore 2 года назад +51

    I work at a major company and have to deal with pre-production hardware on occasion. With that, we are provided flashing tools that Linus talks about at the end that cost upwards of $700. They are quite cool, but didn't know there were ones that cost less.

    • @RuxUnderscore
      @RuxUnderscore 2 года назад +3

      Someone tried leaving a comment on it. The flashing device we use at my company isn't marked up in price, it's the actual MSRP of the tool. My company has a partnership with this particular tool maker so the particular BIOS chips my company uses are automatically recognized by the tool. Every BIOS chip stores data differently, so the flashing tool has to know the chip it's writing/reading to know how to write an image to it.

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 года назад +3

      The CH341a takes like half an hour on 256mbit ROM, it's very slow. The flashrom software is actually perfectly capable of detecting the correct flash chip, it supports just about all of them; but i had to compile it from source since my flash chip that i had to deal with recently was newer than the distro package, but the tool already had it programmed in.
      You can also just connect the chip to SPI pins of a Raspberry Pi and use flashrom utility from there, that's going to be a lot less slow.

    • @EvilSapphireR
      @EvilSapphireR 9 месяцев назад

      ​@@SianaGearzdid you use flashrom together with ch341a programmer on your first example?

  • @igoresque
    @igoresque 2 года назад +66

    I had to do the ch341a route a few months ago, and found out the hard way that you also better remove the CPU to get proper reading, erasing/writing of the chip.
    I was getting lots of unmatching hashes of bios that I read from it, until finally tried to remove the CPU.
    And don't forget to buy a 1.8v adapter for ch341a if your bios needs 1.8v.

    • @rajudahal3619
      @rajudahal3619 2 года назад +1

      Do you need a bios dump to flash using this?? The manufacturer of my board has provided ROM in the bios download and I heard somewhere that i will need a working bios dump and not a ROM.
      My board: Colorful CVN B550 frozen v14

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад

      @@rajudahal3619 I have an asrock board and asrock provides ready to be flashed bios files, I think you can check by reading the flash and comparing the size of what you've read with what your manufacturer provides on download page, the file size should be identical

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад +2

      @@rajudahal3619 it's a good idea to get a bios dump of your chip anyway, as it contains your serial number info or whatever, if your board is still under warranty, I think colorful bios is also ready to flash, judging by byte size of the .rom

    • @rajudahal3619
      @rajudahal3619 2 года назад +1

      @@igoresque I tried reaching to support and they weren't much helpful. They clearly said bricked bios is void of warranty and didn't say anything on what i can do except that I need to go for a repair. :D

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад

      @@rajudahal3619 that makes it easier, you don't have to worry about it anymore

  • @chesanducharika
    @chesanducharika 2 года назад +204

    Thank you! Now I can update bios without having a heart attack.

    • @kevincooper3850
      @kevincooper3850 2 года назад +13

      A UPS is your friend

    • @chesanducharika
      @chesanducharika 2 года назад +11

      @@kevincooper3850 Yeah, need buy one
      Everyone talks about the newest Gpu but not about ups.

    • @cybervoid8442
      @cybervoid8442 2 года назад +2

      @@chesanducharika exactly. If not for anything but protection from voltage spikes

    • @kevincooper3850
      @kevincooper3850 2 года назад +4

      @@cybervoid8442 most do come with battery. Mine can last my desktop for 8 hours

    • @chesanducharika
      @chesanducharika 2 года назад +2

      @@kevincooper3850 That's a long time

  • @CAMintmier
    @CAMintmier 2 года назад +10

    Oh how the times have changed. The only time I've ever had to deal with a bad bios update was back in the 286 days when my AST Premium 286 decided to brick itself. Ordered a new flashed DiP from a company that was advertising in the back of a Popular Mechanics magazine, and it came within 3 days. Worked perfectly and was even a better bios version than the one I had previously.

  • @Diablo-jt4tv
    @Diablo-jt4tv 2 года назад +385

    Or you can just try to whack the bios chip with a hammer a few times.

    • @Carahan
      @Carahan 2 года назад +32

      While chanting the litany of percussive maintenance.

    • @ydid687
      @ydid687 2 года назад +13

      @@Carahan Remind me how does that one go again

    • @jonmayer
      @jonmayer 2 года назад +9

      Works for a stuck starter. Sound logic.

    • @drakethedragon457
      @drakethedragon457 2 года назад +3

      Good method, though it is single use

    • @detroxx56784
      @detroxx56784 2 года назад +2

      10/10 would recommend 👌🏼

  • @TheGameBench
    @TheGameBench 2 года назад +31

    One thing I would add about the specific example of an electrical storm... if you've got close by lighting strikes, probably best to just unplug crap from the wall since a UPS will not protect you from a nearby, let alone, direct lightning strike. I see a lot of people on social media claiming it will, and it most certainly won't. If that happens, a bricked mobo might be the least of your problems.

    • @atodaso1668
      @atodaso1668 2 года назад +1

      They have built in surge protection covered by a warranty

    • @TheGameBench
      @TheGameBench 2 года назад +5

      @@atodaso1668 Yes, and that surge protection is for nominal surges from the power grid, not the astronomical surge from a nearby/direct lightning strike. There is no consumer surge protection that will. And I'm pretty sure, they wouldn't cover that under an "act of god" out outright state that lightning strikes are NOT covered. They make surge suppression that you can put on your homes electrical panel that can suppress a lightning strike, but that's still not a guarantee and lightning strikes can still exceed even their ratings.
      The only surefire way to protect your equipment is to unplug it from the wall.

    • @Snaily
      @Snaily 2 года назад +13

      @@TheGameBench My friends call me weird for unplugging my computer when lightning's about but then one of them wonders why their computer suddenly stopped working one stormy night (the same night he was calling me an idiot for not trusting the surge protection on my mobo)

    • @redshep4318
      @redshep4318 2 года назад +1

      @@Snaily Happen to me once. Thanks god that everything survive except cheapo psu.
      How did it happen you ask, well I was in process of shutting down and would have made it if Thor give me about 20sec.

    • @QuentinStephens
      @QuentinStephens 2 года назад +3

      Don't forget to unplug your router from the internet too. Lightning travels over any wire.

  • @Crombide
    @Crombide 2 года назад +66

    2:44 the CH341A is known to have a flaw where it sends out 5v directly to the BIOS chip's data line instead of 3.3v. It will still work with reprogramming BIOS chip but it is not recommended for constant reflashing of a single chip. There is a mod people can do to fix this if people do plan on using this specific programmer for repairs.

    • @olafdesneeuwman8983
      @olafdesneeuwman8983 2 года назад +17

      I ordered a CH341A and it did not work (reading/writing always gave errors no matter what I tried) , what I ended up doing was using a Raspberry PI with a tool named flashrom and that worked flawlessly. And if I am correct a raspberry PI has 3.3V I/O pins.

    • @-ESTITIK-
      @-ESTITIK- 2 года назад +5

      voltage mod is the solution

    • @cortez1996
      @cortez1996 2 года назад +6

      @@olafdesneeuwman8983 arm based single board computer fix x86 based computer bios

    • @korianes3590
      @korianes3590 2 года назад +3

      there is adaptaters to put on it with different power if i remember correctly i used one to repair my 2to hdd and it worked fine

    • @Crombide
      @Crombide 2 года назад +3

      @@korianes3590 The problem is that there aren't any 3.3v adapter because 3.3v Chips are meant to be directly flashed without adapters.
      I can't really explain it that well so I would recommend this vid as its very informative: ruclips.net/video/-ln3VIZKKaE/видео.html

  • @UntouchedWagons
    @UntouchedWagons 2 года назад +19

    I'd be cool to see a video of one of you guys attempting to unbrick a bricked motherboard. It wouldn't have to be bricked, could just pretend it is.

    • @UncleKennysPlace
      @UncleKennysPlace 2 года назад +3

      And it could _become_ bricked through the process of "faking it"!

  • @StuckOnAFireHydrant
    @StuckOnAFireHydrant 2 года назад +49

    Can confirm, dropping and catching a soldering iron hurts like hell. A proper soldering station would've helped my scenario though. What possessed me to attempt to catch it in my hands I will never know. I did finish the project I was working on though 🤣

    • @DegustoDelSol
      @DegustoDelSol 2 года назад +6

      OK, honest question, how and why did you drop it? What could have happened so you let loose? I'm really curious

    • @StuckOnAFireHydrant
      @StuckOnAFireHydrant 2 года назад +11

      @@DegustoDelSol ok. To preface this I was in college and my friends dorm they had stacked 3 small dressers, 2 on the side, one on top, and I was soldering on top of it cause it was near a window and we had a fan exhausting fumes out. We bought a $20 soldering iron and I was modding Nerf blasters at that time. It only came with the iron and nothing else, so I balenced it on the box it came in to keep it off the table... Yeah... It rolled off on the second blaster I was modding and smart me decided to catch it and burned in-between my middle finger and pointer finger.
      I've since done other stuff with it like build drones and fix random electronics, but man did I have PTSD after that moment lmao

    • @vgamesx1
      @vgamesx1 2 года назад +2

      Well, I can say that dropping it on to something isn't much better, I have a desk next to my bed and a TS100 which I use with a laptop power brick, as I'm sure you're aware laptop brick cables aren't nearly as flexible as your typical cables for soldering irons or test equipment, well this one is rather rigid so my iron slide off my lap, didn't even try to stop it and almost instantly melted a hole right through my bedsheet, I may not be hurt, but it's a little painful to look at that hole, the one plus side is it's at the edge, so I could cut it off and barely notice.

    • @StuckOnAFireHydrant
      @StuckOnAFireHydrant 2 года назад +1

      @@vgamesx1 luckily my friend lived in like the "slum" of all our dorms so the RAs didn't even notice the tiny burned hole in the floor where it landed after I let go when it was burning my hand lmao. Totally destroyed the tip of that cheapo soldering iron tho

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 года назад +1

      @@StuckOnAFireHydrant It's supposed to come with a tiny little shitty foldout stand, all i've seen did. Though it doesn't help much against shitty stiff cords you get in cheapest soldering irons.
      I think dropped soldering iron moment is something most of us have experienced, it's fine.

  • @rhyanandrews1979
    @rhyanandrews1979 2 года назад +16

    Heads up. Do not use a soldering iron to desolder a bios chip. Too many contacts and you will probably break one of the pads. You need a tool called a hot air station or some sort of heat gun, typical solder melting point is about 230 Celsius so make sure it can do that. They can run you about £70 or $85 if you’re US. Just be steady, gently tug with tweezers while heating and it comes straight off

  • @kfz9616
    @kfz9616 2 года назад +5

    As an electrical technician I would not recommend using a soldering iron for surface mount components. You sould use hot air gun for that instead.
    Solderig irons are for through hole components and maybe if needed, to pre-tin the pads for SMD components. Also don't forget to use good quality flux!
    Cheers!

    • @MTGeomancer
      @MTGeomancer 2 года назад +1

      An iron is perfectly fine for SO style packages like a BIOS typically will be, but removal is certainly more challenging. If you're replacing with a new chip, I'd personally just clip the leads off then the feet are easy to remove with an iron.

  • @PlaceholderforBjorn
    @PlaceholderforBjorn 2 года назад +92

    In circuit programming(when the chip is still soldered on the motherboard), sometimes doesn't work. For a 100% certain good flash(as long there isn't a problem with the chip). You need to desolder the chip.
    There are even really cheap programmers like the USBasp, but those is a real pain to use on Windows.
    And those who have greater compatibility as the Minipro programmers (TL866/II/IIplus).
    Good luck everyone! 😁

    • @evilgremlin
      @evilgremlin 2 года назад +3

      USBasp is really bad option here, because you always, always need two of them, one to flash the other with capable firmware. CH341 with clip cable cost ~5$, not 10-15 like Linus said.

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад

      @@evilgremlin I also had to get a voltage adapter for my chip, since ch341a doesn't do 1.8v, still was a mere $7 fix for my mobo

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад +3

      with clip you can just do this:
      1) read existing BIOS chip 2 times and compare if hashes are the same, which means good read
      2) then you can write a working BIOS file, and after that read the chip to check if hash is equal to the original file
      pretty much fool proof way

    • @StolenJoker84
      @StolenJoker84 2 года назад +1

      @@igoresque … except when your BIOS chip is so close to the MB that the clip doesn’t even make contact with the legs … yeah, I’ve run into that issue with a MSI board that bricked itself while updating the BIOS.

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад +1

      @@StolenJoker84 I thought we were talking about the quality of the flash using clip, not the ability to attach the clip

  • @MasterGeekMX
    @MasterGeekMX 2 года назад +3

    I once rescued a 2004 motherboard with a DIY arduino-based ROM flasher. Lucky me that the chip was a simple removable 8 pin chip that I could plug into a breadboard.

    • @PlaceholderforBjorn
      @PlaceholderforBjorn 2 года назад

      That is awesome. It's really sad that they don't longer do it like that on motherboards. I had a Optiplex with corrupt BIOS. And the work to fix it was not worth it because of a SMT component, that I yet had to identify where it was. And desolder with a rework station.
      So i salvage what I could and recycled the motherboard. If it was easily repaired I wouldn't hasitate to reflash it in my programmer.

  • @Ferroes
    @Ferroes 2 года назад +14

    4:20 minutes, nice

  • @JohnADoe-pg1qk
    @JohnADoe-pg1qk 2 года назад +4

    Note to self: Keep bricked motherboards away from Red Shirt Jeff. 🤣

  • @Devastator0
    @Devastator0 2 года назад +4

    I am so glad you guys covered this!! I’ve used the exact same tool to save no less than 4 boards that all had corrupted BIOS’. Good video & keep up the good work!!

    • @caganozcan8499
      @caganozcan8499 10 месяцев назад

      Will the bios be the exact same like the internet version after we use ch341a or will it be different and can it harm the computer if we use this device? Thanks for all!

  • @michaelbaines8217
    @michaelbaines8217 2 года назад +3

    I remember having to email a manufacturer to ask them to mail out a new (socketed) bios chip. It turned up in an envelope a week or so later and was ready to swap out. Good times!

  • @erroltheterrible
    @erroltheterrible 2 года назад +15

    Love how you skimmed over GETTING A RAW BIOS DUMP TO FLASH! The downloaded bios file generally does NOT contain a full bios as it appears in the flash?

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 года назад

      Depends. On ASUS you get a file packaged up in some metadata and you can extract with a special utility. Other manufacturers usually have raw dumps you can flash directly. However if the BIOS also contains MAC addresses, serial numbers, or other such personalised data, well it's not going to have those, tough.

  • @Ebalosus
    @Ebalosus 2 года назад +2

    Thanks Linus, I could’ve used this yesterday when a motherboard I was looking at wasn’t POSTing

  • @vedantagrawal9530
    @vedantagrawal9530 2 года назад +1

    Dawid and the Saga of GT 210s has taught us about this all to well.

  • @Everett737
    @Everett737 2 года назад +2

    Ok, we need to see you guys successfully perform that last one with the special clamp. Someone please ship them your dead motherboard so they can try it.

  • @terminasitor769
    @terminasitor769 2 года назад +2

    Last summer I lost power while I was updating my bios.These (2:35) still give me nightmares. Eventually I got a replacement chip because fortunately mine could be swapped.

  • @splynncryth
    @splynncryth 2 года назад +11

    A pretty comprehensive video without having to go into a technical deep dive of what's going on, bravo.
    The only thing I'd add to this is that obtaining a raw BIOS image can be a challenge sometimes. The UEFI spec contains a specific mechanism to deliver BIOS updates. In a nutshell, it's supposed to help verify the integrity of the update, maintain security of the system, and only update parts of the BIOS that are changed.
    This means the file you download may not be a file that is a 1:1 version of the data that should be on the flash part. I don't know of any way to use that to make an file suitable for flashing onto the BIOS chip.
    A quick way to tell is to check the file size. It should be exactly 4, 8, or 16 MiB (it should exactly match the size of the BIOS flash part).
    The next possible issue, at least with Intel mainboards is that the flash part containing the BIOS may also be shared with the built in ethernet adapter and the Intel ME. If that's the case, then the whole thing needs to be assembled into a single image with a tool like a hex editor. The process would to read the file, look at some data in the file (usually detailed in the chipset specs), then paste the good BIOS image into the correct spot, and finally flash the resulting file onto the system.
    When I was an engineer in this space, we had tools to put all this together. I don't know if the BIOS modding community have their own tools for this.
    In a production system, BIOS recovery mechanisms should work for nearly any situation but in my experience, OEMs are generally pretty bad at documenting them (BIOS is still something of a PC dark art and BIOS developers don't generally like to draw attention to themselves).
    It may help to pester support a bunch and hope that someone there gets brave enough to reach out to the BIOS engineering team who may be able to provide a solution before resorting to using an external flasher. It might also be possible to get a raw image file though companies might be extra cagey about that (as they perceive IP issues but if you have physical access and a flasher, there is little point).

    • @splynncryth
      @splynncryth 2 года назад

      A couple things to add for Intel systems (those are what I worked on, I left that industry before Ryzen). There may be some some sort of system level protections against BIOS tampering. That can come from TPM protections, or through specific protections built into the chipset and CPU (intel was working to make something at least as strong as ARM's trust zones). I think this is pretty rare on consumer stuff (exceptions may be Dell, HP, Lenovo, and similar companies). But there isn't a lot of transparency.
      One thing we may see in the future are systems that can deliver the BIOS in a virtual fashion via a feature called eSPI. It was something a server company I worked for in the past was investigating. The idea was that an embedded management microcontroller (generally one running Linux) would use the eSPI capability in the chipset to make a file stored in its filesystem available as a virtual flash part. That meant a BIOS upgrade would basically just involve copying a file to the filesystem and tell the right piece of software the filename to use for the new BIOS.
      I could see major OEM like Asus perusing this in the consumer space once the kinks are worked out and the extra hardware can be added in a cost effective way.

  • @ajhieb
    @ajhieb 2 года назад +1

    The CH341a is a lifesaver. I bricked the IPMI on a SuperMicro server board in my homelab (firmware updates -can- should always wait until you're sober) and managed to get it working again by flashing the correct image with the afore mentioned tool.

  • @andre_warmeling
    @andre_warmeling 2 года назад +6

    I run a repair shop and I do these desktop BIOS flashes without charging, when possible. It's another story with laptops, though.

    • @thetalesofdaneandco
      @thetalesofdaneandco 2 года назад +1

      I am actually trolling the comments for this exact issue. I have a laptop that failed a Bios update due to a forced restart. r/TechSupport didn't even bother responding. What is the other story for laptops?

    • @ccman32
      @ccman32 2 года назад +2

      @@thetalesofdaneandco I can recommend the ERS (Electronics Repair School) Discord server if you still need help with your laptop. I'm sure someone from the server will be able to help you out.

    • @andre_warmeling
      @andre_warmeling 2 года назад

      @@thetalesofdaneandco I mean it's harder because you have to open the device and there are no clean BIOS files from the Manufacturer, you have to take It from a similar machine and sometimes even tinker with the ME Region.

    • @nohay4549
      @nohay4549 2 года назад +2

      @@andre_warmeling I corrupted my laptop BIOS and WINRAID forum mods helped me to rebuild the image to flash with a programmer. Not an easy task. But my laptop works now

    • @andre_warmeling
      @andre_warmeling 2 года назад

      @@nohay4549 Yes, that is possible sometimes. I'm glad it worked out for you.

  • @kztech1319
    @kztech1319 2 года назад +3

    On some motherboards, the power rails of the BIOS chip might get sucked up to the rest of the board, which makes the programmer not able to supply enough current to run the BIOS chip properly at the correct voltage. This may or may not happen on CH341a, but it did happen on my TL866 programmer
    If you constantly get pin detection errors or read different data every single time you read the chip, you need to hook the alligator clip's board up to external power, such as a single AA/AAA battery holder for 1.5V BIOS chips, and a double battery holder for 3V BIOS chips. If you can't get those external power, then you will have to risk it a bit by using the motherboard's power and turn the system on while flashing...

  • @Celician83
    @Celician83 2 года назад +2

    Had a rare instance where I have a X470 motherboard with dual bios, so, to run the Ryzen 3700x, I needed to flash the bios to gain support for it. Didn't think anything of it til my bios corrupted, and the second bios was not compatible with the 3700x, and I have a Monoblock water block on my motherboard.... fun times😂

  • @philjancik4601
    @philjancik4601 5 месяцев назад +1

    just my luck. when i was watching this video. around 0:45 when linus finished saying "when you bios gets corrupted" by pc froze. initially i thought it was a gag in the video but when it lasted too long without anything happening and i couldnt move my mouse. i think that means my computer just did a le funny at the perfect time

  • @gman4141007
    @gman4141007 2 года назад

    I knew this was possible but didn't someone commercialized it, this is perfect for not ultra techy people like me but still techy enough that can still flash a bricked bios with this tool

  • @Techno-Universal
    @Techno-Universal 3 месяца назад +1

    Many servers that are higher end for reliability can have up to four socketed bios chips so if one or two fail they can still continue running without any issues! :)

  • @JugheadJones03
    @JugheadJones03 2 года назад

    This is why I adore this channel. Jumper cable style BIOS flashing! I never knew.

  • @codywalsh3549
    @codywalsh3549 2 года назад +1

    Thank you so much for takin off your toque and washing/combing your hair! Looks nice :)

  • @iliasiosifidis4532
    @iliasiosifidis4532 2 года назад +21

    I thought that video would make me feel confident to update mine. Instead, I m gonna let it be old :D

    • @krystaldragons6040
      @krystaldragons6040 2 года назад

      Yeah same

    • @Dexplaze.
      @Dexplaze. 2 года назад +1

      honestly i did not have any problem upgrading my x470 board and my b550 board ...

    • @spac18
      @spac18 2 года назад +1

      I did my bios update a couple of weeks ago, it's really easy tbh, just use an ups or an inverter

    • @Dexplaze.
      @Dexplaze. 2 года назад +3

      @@spac18 Honestly idk about other countries but i only experienced 1 Power Failure in my lifetime (Germany) so i did just risk it no problem ...

    • @readmyprofiledont5060
      @readmyprofiledont5060 2 года назад

      Don't read my name;;"+$;#!#

  • @MrVolksbeetle
    @MrVolksbeetle 2 года назад

    I'm sad that the wrench in the thumbnail wasn't a viable option. Missed opportunity to embrace Linus' natural talents.

  • @chrismorrison5301
    @chrismorrison5301 2 года назад +1

    This is much better, those rushed "youtube shorts" videos have been agitating me.

  • @RK-252
    @RK-252 2 года назад

    I bet you a dollar that linus dropped his motherboard in the middle of a bios update and decided to make this video.

  • @mahmut.3243
    @mahmut.3243 4 месяца назад

    Thank you very much, I wrote the bios file to the bios chip as .bin and my computer was saved, thanks to you. (Advice for those who will do it: test clips are useless things, I cut off the cables and soldered them to the chip, I attached them poorly, but it was enough to throw the bios, then I removed it immediately)

    • @mahmut.3243
      @mahmut.3243 4 месяца назад

      Again, do not use test clips and use Neoprogrammer

  • @UteGirlz
    @UteGirlz 2 года назад

    Mobo manufacturer: We're gonna make motherboards hard to repair and then offer a DIY repair program.

  • @BadKarma714
    @BadKarma714 2 года назад +1

    Linus it’s called an alligator clamps not a car jumper cable thingy LOL good video

  • @BLCKVD
    @BLCKVD 2 года назад

    Pretty mindblowing that how this can be still a thing while there’s already easy solutions

  • @pilkjaer
    @pilkjaer 2 года назад +4

    I like how all of those techniques require having at least one more PC with internet access. Let's solve it for the "normal" people who only have one PC that got bricked.

    • @sharpefilms2287
      @sharpefilms2287 2 года назад

      Ask a friend? Sure many people wouldn't have an extra PC lying around but I'm sure they know someone with a working computer.

    • @igoresque
      @igoresque 2 года назад

      if you’re willing to risk your pc not working after bios update, then you better have some sort of a backup plan

  • @eggnogg8086
    @eggnogg8086 2 года назад +4

    The ch341a is dangerous, the data lines can sometimes be at 5v logic levels rather than the typical 3.3v, I have destroyed laptop motherboards by trying to use the clip to flash it in circuit because while the bios chip itself is usually 5v tolerant, the pch or ec or whatever else is connected might not be
    There's a fix for the issue, you need to lift one of the pins on the ch341 chip and solder it to the 3.3v regulator on the programmer, there are guides on how to do this

    • @SianaGearz
      @SianaGearz 2 года назад

      Have you checked that the chip is actually 3.3V (still not 5V-tolerant) rather than 1.8V?
      Though normally using ch341a unmodded is not an issue. Because on the driven data pins that are connected to ch341a, with ch341a itself being powered by 5V, you have to just make sure vcc pin going to flash is the correct voltage, because the data pins, even if they're driven with 5V, are only capable of supplying less than half a milliamp of current, which is dissipated by the ESD diodes to VCC inside the flash chip. 5V-tolerant would mean 5V can be connected without current limiting, which isn't the case. And going over on VCC is always bad news. Also VCC must be present before any data connection is attempted, else it's not going to be great, which is you could say a hazard with these test clamps.
      Something to keep in mind is just how death-prone the AMS1117 3.3V regulator on the ch341a boards is, and sometimes it sends full input voltage to the output once it dies. That would be bad news indeed.

  • @ChikaHakozaki
    @ChikaHakozaki 2 года назад +2

    tbh all motherboards these days should have a dualbios

  • @ironicmnemonic737
    @ironicmnemonic737 2 года назад +2

    4:20 for the meme? xD

  • @Pr0fPyr0
    @Pr0fPyr0 2 года назад +1

    I want to see a video testing one of these chip clamps

  • @mateuscoutinhomarim9184
    @mateuscoutinhomarim9184 2 года назад +1

    I’ve already had to flash my bios with this external EPROM programmer, it was not easy, but It saved me from buying another motherboard.

  • @Henry14arsenal2007
    @Henry14arsenal2007 2 года назад

    Great video, never had this problem, but its refreshing to see someone thought of that updater device.

  • @ArtdesTests
    @ArtdesTests 2 года назад

    Best Techquickie ever. I honestly did not know a couple of those.

  • @bakuhost
    @bakuhost 2 года назад +6

    That programming IC clamp that you recommended is basically useless for PC BIOS reflashing. When you connect it to the programmer it will immediately supply 3.3V to the IC and thus power everything else that is powered from that power rail on the motherboard obviously overloading poor programmer and triggering over current protection.

  • @GEN9100
    @GEN9100 2 года назад

    Good to see the sponsor spots back at the end.

  • @ysf_ar6984
    @ysf_ar6984 2 года назад +1

    New fear unlocked: dropping a sawdering iron on my foot

  • @jogeem5480
    @jogeem5480 2 года назад +1

    So excited to watch this! I just accidentally dropped a brick on my mobo and split it on half :(

  • @mdukasa
    @mdukasa 2 года назад

    That cable for BIOS flashing can also let you flash custom versions of your BIOS, for ThinkPads this can include removing WiFi card whitelists

  • @arianh6553
    @arianh6553 2 года назад

    lmao the timing on this. i just bricked a laptop mobo earlier today

  • @GuillaumeLortie
    @GuillaumeLortie 2 года назад +1

    Could also be used to Flash ‘’ Lock ‘’ device that are named after a popular fruit.

  • @Zippomon
    @Zippomon 2 года назад

    Honestly, every desktop user should have a UPS. They're not that expensive and they're a lifesaver.

  • @the_legendary_neostriker7872
    @the_legendary_neostriker7872 Год назад

    I was gonna get ready to learn how to solder or get 200 bucks. But this is a life saver. I was just rippeed off and sold a faulty cpu thst shut off mid update. This is so much easier

  • @AustinTan
    @AustinTan 2 года назад

    Would be nice to make it a full video on ltt about how to fix bios!

  • @progogurt
    @progogurt 2 года назад

    Best episode in a while very interesting and lots of new info to me

  • @Fishbait075
    @Fishbait075 2 года назад

    Who else flinched when that soldier iron hit the foot, even tho it was only a crappy animation?

  • @TheFutureTech
    @TheFutureTech 2 года назад

    Finally some decent consumer repair advice although to myself this video is 7 years late. Remember with HP laptop Bios repairs you need the 1.8V adapter

  • @keventaa
    @keventaa 2 года назад

    AdamantIT has some videos about this topic aswell, very well explained.

  • @joshuascholar3220
    @joshuascholar3220 2 года назад

    For once I love the sponsor. That isn't the specific model of Sennheiser open backed headphones I have, but I can confirm, they're the best. I have a frankenstein setup with a headphone amp and mic instead.

  • @tbone8839
    @tbone8839 2 года назад

    Had this problem the other day. Popped out the cmos battery for 20 seconds and put it back in. Good as new.

  •  2 года назад +1

    Like a decade ago I bricked my mom's Vista era laptop because after reinstalling the OS I went to update the bios, but the laptop froze during said installation. I never could fix it, because the information that I found said that to repair that one I needed to do so via a floppy disk.

  • @unknownworld8238
    @unknownworld8238 2 года назад

    1 hour ago this vid wa uploaded. FONALLY I WAS ABLE TO PEEK AN EYE TO A VID RELEASED RECENTLY !

  • @Arek_R.
    @Arek_R. 2 года назад +1

    2:10 "Modern BIOS chips"
    Please correct me if I'm wrong but BIOS chip package didn't change in like 15 years and still remains in the SO-8 package...
    Furthermore I could solder this type of ICs when I was 15yo so I'm sure some grown up adult can do same right?

  • @iikeBl
    @iikeBl 3 месяца назад +1

    0:07 or maybe beacuse you have connected the PCIe power cable to the CPU power pins (or what the name was)

  • @rjbee8533
    @rjbee8533 2 года назад

    One of my favorite videos so far wish I would have known this 3 months ago I just tossed some other board out from a bad flash but I bought a new chip and it still wouldn't turn on I imagine the chip I bought was not flashed with the proper bias I guess

  • @simonleeh3949
    @simonleeh3949 2 года назад +1

    Linus: makes the Video exactly 4:20 minutes long.
    Me: Nice

  • @hotlinefrenzy
    @hotlinefrenzy Год назад

    I expected you guys pulling your hair out trying to revive some psu-induced mobo death scenario 😩

  • @priestofhiro
    @priestofhiro 2 года назад

    the footage when linus talks about tripping over the power cord should've been the time he got stuck upside down like a freakin clown

  • @nuclearfamilies7076
    @nuclearfamilies7076 2 года назад +1

    Can you make a video about the UPS thing? You always talk about it but it's not really clear what it actually does.

    • @StefanoAgrotis
      @StefanoAgrotis 2 года назад +1

      They have them in several videos.. It's a surge protector with a big enough battery so that if power is lost your devices can continue to function so that way they may be shut down properly.

    • @nuclearfamilies7076
      @nuclearfamilies7076 2 года назад

      @@StefanoAgrotis Thanks for the explanation.
      I still think it would make a pretty cool video to inform people like me who are unaware of the purpose or functioning of the actual thing.

  • @rake.
    @rake. 2 года назад

    I replaced the removable bios chip on my ASUS x58 sabertooth. It is still running by the way, with a xeon 5670. Running windows 7 for my older games.

  • @POCKETS2DEEP
    @POCKETS2DEEP 2 месяца назад

    Wish you could leave a link to asprogrammer.. Also, can you ask you tube to add a brightness adjuster in the videos setting icon? ...

  • @FIDEL_CASHFLOW_
    @FIDEL_CASHFLOW_ 2 года назад

    Linus with the beard and new hairstyle looking like a snack

  • @GlennSearle3
    @GlennSearle3 2 года назад

    Nobody gonna talk about one of Linus' best sponsor transitions ever?!? 😂

  • @Vortex001_MLG
    @Vortex001_MLG Год назад

    2:30 this will void my manufacturer warranty won’t it

  • @4aty1
    @4aty1 2 года назад

    Love this style of Techquickie the best👍

  • @chirantannath6593
    @chirantannath6593 2 года назад

    That soldering iron drop gave me nightmarish flashbacks of me actually dropping the soldering iron in electronics class.

  • @justinbouchard
    @justinbouchard 2 года назад +2

    4:20
    nice.

  • @user-ce7ic1ze2u
    @user-ce7ic1ze2u 2 месяца назад

    3:33 I had a drop of molten solder fall onto my pinky, man that hurt for a week straight!

  • @racejay
    @racejay 2 года назад

    Yeah, not only i was able to resurrect my Intel DZ87KLT-75K from the dead, i also managed to deep clean its ME region so that i could update it to the last known BIOS version. Afterwards i further updated the ME firmware so that it could support the I7-4790K. However these BIOS chips work around the 3,3V mark, so it is advisable to do a small fix. Check the 'Community' section on my channel to know what to do.

  • @jubeh
    @jubeh 2 года назад

    Here I thought it'd be tips about reviving an actual dead motherboard like the ones I've blown MOSFETs on

  • @riyanchii5598
    @riyanchii5598 2 года назад

    linus you've gained a loyal subscriber today with this one video...

  • @TheIndigoSystem
    @TheIndigoSystem 2 года назад +1

    Ugh this happened to me just now I’m so upset. I hope I haven’t lost everything. I don’t have a clue how to do any of this. It’ll probably cost too much to get it fixed. I think I have most of my pictures and vids etc saved on external hard drives and in iCloud

  • @damienwolf07
    @damienwolf07 2 года назад +1

    Ahh! dropping the iron on the foot, especially with the point bit, bet that you'll be in the hospital for a few weeks, I got burned by one on my finger, made a full recovery in 5 months, pretty bad burn.

  • @matjazmeza
    @matjazmeza 2 года назад

    Good to see you here, Linus. Good video!

  • @techtycoons
    @techtycoons 2 года назад

    This video is more of a Linus tech Tips video than a Teckquickie video

  • @emdo8437
    @emdo8437 2 года назад +2

    Good video

  • @killercat268
    @killercat268 2 года назад

    A minor critique @1:15 from an engineer in the electronics manufacturing services industry. When you say PCB, it refers to only the bare unpopulated circuit board. The correct term would be printed circuit board assembly or pcba. Kind of like when someone says GPU when really they mean video card. Differences in terminology like this have been the cause of wasted engineering hours in my experience.

  • @kanggvng
    @kanggvng 2 года назад +1

    4:20? Nice 😎

  • @Z4K-CS
    @Z4K-CS 2 года назад +1

    Hi LinusTechtips. Hope youd notice this. Im having troubles getting my PC boot up with my GPU. All I get is red light on EZ debug on top right on Motherboard. Red light on VGA.
    Troubleshooting done
    -Reset CMOS
    -Default Bios
    -Reseat RAM
    -Reseat GPU
    -Switched to IGP from PEG, Reverted back to PEG
    SPECS:
    Ryzen 2200g
    8x2 2133mhz
    MSI b450m Mortar
    MSI GTX 760 2GB
    VS450 Corsair

    • @volodumurkalunyak4651
      @volodumurkalunyak4651 2 года назад

      Either you installed GPU into wrong slot (farthest from CPU) together with NVME SSD in second M2 slot, GPU isn't properly connected to PCI-E power (8 pin and 6pin), GPU is faulty, board is faulty or CPU is faulty. Can you test GPU on anouther PC?

  • @enyemberthduarte6732
    @enyemberthduarte6732 2 года назад

    Had no idea those existed. Great video